Multi-Media Evangelism
(video of “The Master’s Hand” chalk drawing)(videoof”WorkingCooperatively” Bible lesson)
Multi-Media Evangelism is a small non-profit Christian organization. Multi-Media Evangelism specifically ministers to the deaf, hearing impaired and sign language interpreters through the use of videocassettes. The founder and president of Multi-Media Evangelism is Howard Baldwin.
Mr. Baldwin was a chalk artist evangelist for over thirty years. He used these chalk drawings to give “Sermons in Art.” The sermons were given to share the message of the gospel by using art. When Mr. Baldwin would give a “Sermon in Art” at churches with a deaf ministry, he would have the message pre-recorded in sign language on a video. This ministry eventually led Mr. Baldwin to begin Multi-Media Evangelism, allowing him to share his message with the deaf. Multi-Media Evangelism produces weekly Sunday School Bible studies in American Sign Language on both videocassettes and DVD’s. The lessons are approximately twenty minutes long.
The first teacher of the weekly Bible studies for Multi-Media was Clifford Bruffey. Mr. Bruffey was deaf and provided the Bible studies in sign language for twenty years. One day while Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Bruffey were at lunch Mr. Baldwin realized he had known of Mr. Bruffey as a child. Mr. Baldwin’s father would take him to the Star Barber shop on Cary Street, where his father would always ask the barber about his nephew. While having lunch, Mr. Bruffey signed that he was going to visit his aunt Mrs. Robinson. Mr. Baldwin then asked him if her husband ran the Star Barber shop on Cary Street. And Mr. Bruffey responded, yes. It was at this moment that Mr. Baldwin realized that the deaf nephew his father always asked about at the barber shop was in fact Mr. Bruffey. Mr. Baldwin felt that he and Mr. Bruffey had been brought together in order to share the gospel with others.
After Mr. Bruffey’s death, Ray Bearden became the teacher of the weekly Bible studies. Mr. Bearden is the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Woodbridge Virginia. Both Mr. Bearden’s mother and father were deaf, and he learned sign language before he could talk. Twice a year Mr. Bearden records twenty six Bible studies at the studio for Multi-Media Evangelism.
Multi-Media Evangelism began mission partnerships which take teams overseas to share the gospel, distribute Bibles and give humanitarian aid. Mr. Baldwin has led over twenty missions including England, Estonia, Ukraine, and Russia. Because sign language is not universal, deaf interpreters are needed for translations. Multi-Media used a film about Jesus to help share their message. This film was translated into many various languages, using the sign language of the country. In doing this many people hard of hearing or deaf were able view and understand the Jesus film. Multi Media Evangelism also created a video titled “Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus.” This video was created on a tour of the Holy Land and signed by deaf Christians. Another video produced by Multi-Media Evangelism is a dictionary including 2,800 American Sign Language words in English and Spanish. This video is especially useful for sign language interpreters in other countries. The videos are available for purchase on the Multi Media web site.
Multi-Media Evangelism
1335 South Providence Road
Richmond, VA 23236
(804) 276-9083
Sources:
Mr. Howard Baldwin, President
http://www.multimediaevangelism.org/
http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/worldreports/216/02-2006
Profile prepared by Catherine Beil
March, 2007
